The Spring and Summer term of this School opened on the 3rd of March.
    The prospect is fair for a large attendance at present, there are Fifty regular Students.
Table Rock Sentinel, March 22, 1856, page 3

the other, five miles from here on the road. So we hitch up and start to meeting and find the congregation waiting when we arrive. Our church has no society here, but the people are mostly Brethren and Campbellites who are very much opposed to our people, who are Methodists. After service, we accepted the invitation of Brother Miller to go with him to dinner. (This is the Brother Miller who lives in Yoncalla, and who was always a kind friend to our folks in those pioneer days.) After dinner the men conclude that it will be best for me and the children to stay at home and rest as we have to travel tomorrow. While they are gone, the children and I have plenty of melons to eat. Brother Miller hitched up his little buggy, and he and T.F. go to meeting. About dark they return, and all are safe in the house, to remain until Monday morning.
    Monday 7th. All well, prospect of rain this morning, so we conclude to borrow bows and wagon cover to shelter us on the way. We expect to cross the Calapooia Mountains today. Nooned at Mr. Estes' at the foot of the mountains. Start over about two o'clock. Eight miles over the mountain, and to the next house. We are afraid that we will be in the night though.
    Evening. Over the mountain safe to Brother Cartwright's. Supper just over, but a few minutes bring some more steaming hot from the great stove in the kitchen. This is a tavern. Everything moves off in double-quick time here, for there is a great deal of travel on this road in the fall. We had two or three sprinkles of rain today, an uncommon thing for this time of the year.
    Wednesday 10th. Yesterday we traveled on a very good road, for a new country, until noon. Then we took the new territorial road, and found it very fine until we reached the Long Tom River. We crossed the bridge and drove up the hill to a cabin where a family resides by the name of Duckworth. We called for lodging, and were very kindly entertained by these strangers who are Protestant Methodists. We were up and off this morning in time to make a good drive this forenoon. We are now at the home of Brother Starr (Noah), a traveling minister of this Conference. I guess they are glad to see us, for when Br. Starr came out to the wagon, he said: "Sister Royal, I am glad to see you. Sister Starr is in the kitchen setting the table for dinner. The children are all out in the yard in the cool shade playing." T.F. sits in his chair, reading the last paper through his blue glasses, for his eyes are weak yet.
    Brother Starr brought out some fine large apples a few minutes ago, all ripe and sweet. Dinner. What do you guess we had for dinner? Chicken, corn, cucumbers, cabbage, coffee, cream, sugar, biscuit, butter and peaches. Kate will say: "Just such a dinner as Mary loves." Now we must go on further tonight. Brother S---- is going to start to Conference in the morning, and wishes me to stay all night. But no, we must go on ten miles.
    Thursday morning 11th. At Brother Hodges' this morning, the family are nearly all sick with something like the ague. I have been at work helping the lady to get breakfast. We are now out in prairie three miles wide. It seems something like Illinois. It looks very pretty by moonlight. We are now within five miles of Corvallis. We shall get a late start this morning.
    Corvallis, 11 o'clock, brings us to Brother Phillips. We just call to say: "How do you do?" Brother and Sister P------- both say, "Get out, and come in." But we both say no. We are in a great hurry and have no time for visiting. They say: "Now you are not going to leave here before dinner. We won't let you go. So get out and come in. We will soon have dinner ready." Brother Phillips is the agent for the American Bible Society in Oregon and Washington territories. He and his excellent lady have visited the Umpqua twice, and were at Conference last year, so I am pretty well acquainted with them. She is very lively and pleasant company. Seems like "our folks." She is from York State, just my age.
    Evening. Our early dinner was over about two o'clock, and we started on our way to Father Lewis', strangers to us. When we drove up to the house, they were just going to bed. But got up and received us very kindly. The old lady pressed us to have a warm supper, but we told her we would rather sleep than wait for her to cook supper. Bread and milk, and to bed.
    Friday morning. We have had our breakfast of good things, such as Oregon people have, and are nearly ready to start. No more writing now, for they are calling me to taste the good melons. There goes the old man with a large one for us to eat when we get to the top of Prospect Hill, where we can see a great deal of the Willamette Valley spread out as a map at our feet. The melons dispatched and we are off. Mother Lewis wants to keep Anina until we return from Conference. But we prefer taking the little group all along, to catch their shadows for Grandma Stanley.
    Two o'clock brings us to Salem. We call at the house of Father Leslie, one of the old missionaries to Oregon, when there were but few white people here. They are at dinner, and invite us to come in and be at home. So we rest and dress up all clean in the afternoon. T.F. visits the Willamette University in charge of the Oregon Conference, returns to Father Leslie's about five, and we drive over to Bro. Parish's to stay all night. Oh, how glad they are to see us. They come running out to the gate to meet us. We stayed with them last year on our way to Conference. Oh, how welcome they make us! They have a large, fine house, garden orchard and farm etc. We go in. Supper is over, but soon good Sister P----- spreads the table again. Said I: "Shall I help you, Sister?" She says: "Yes, you may peel some of those fine peaches for your supper." And suiting the action to the word, she placed by my side a large basket full of them, ripe and sweet. I peel a large dishful for supper. With sugar and cream and warm biscuit, tea, etc. we made out a hearty supper. We spend a pleasant evening with the family, and retire early to rest as we must be off in good season in the morning. The children, Nina and Stanley, sleep on the sofa in the parlor, and the rest of us in a bedroom adjoining on a bedstead worth a hundred dollars.
    Saturday 13th. Morning. We slept well last night. It is foggy this morning, and we shall not get an early start. I would like to walk about and see the fruit and flowers, but the grass is too wet. Now it rains some, just a sprinkle. Breakfast over, and we are ready to start at nine o'clock. Twenty-five miles to travel today. Just after we started this morning, we heard a noise behind us saying "All aboard!" So peering out from under our cover, we spy Brother and Sister Phillips (before named) in their carriage. "Brother Royal, where are you going to spend the Sabbath?" Answer: "At Baker's Prairie." "So are we; we shall have a fine time there together." Pretty soon, up came Brother and Sister Starr, on their way to Conference, also going to spend the Sabbath at Baker's Prairie. Three preachers and their wives there at one time. The like was never known there in that country place. About four o'clock, we arrive at Father Joslin's on the bank of the Molalla River, just at the edge of the prairie. We are acquainted here, having spent a Sabbath here last year. All very glad to see us. And the first salute is five or six large melons which are brought and laid on a bench in the yard. We soon dispatch one or two of the largest, and then supper is ready. We all eat and rest. After supper Fletcher and I conclude to go a mile further up the river to Brother Cross'. Three appointments are circulated for the Sabbath.
    Sunday 14th. Bright and early we begin to scrub children's faces and comb hair, for Sunday school is at nine o'clock and we must hurry. Nothing but going to church today, and singing &c. &c. &c. Evening. We have all been to church today and all day, and feel pretty much tired out.
    Monday 15th. Rainy this morning, but we have a good cover, and so must be in Portland at six o'clock this evening. So we bid goodbye to our friends here and are soon on our way.
    Noon. At Oregon City we are in such a hurry that we cannot stop. We will eat some of our melons which we have in the wagon, with our biscuits, and drive on. But, who is this? Why, it is Brother Hines. "How do you do, etc?" You must drive right up the hill here for dinner. You need not say a word, you must stop, you have plenty of time. The truth was this. We stayed with them last when at Conference, and they had been watching for us all day, determined that we should not pass, and saw our wagon and ran down the hill and got ahead of us and stopped us. We take in some of our large melons to eat after dinner.
    October 1st. Wednesday. We arrived home safe and sound last night after dark. We are returned to this place, as you have probably learned before this time. School commences this morning. I will stay at home a week to wash up and rest. Next week I shall go in to school. We received great kindness while we were gone on our journey of 200 miles. We never paid one cent of expense on the way, except for ferries and toll bridge. Fletcher has gone to school, and I must go to washing pretty soon. I will not go in to school until next week, when I get rested.
    Thursday 9th. I have just come home from Father Royal's. Mary and her new husband have just started for Rogue River, their circuit this year. I have been ironing, and helping to get her off. I thought of the time when I left home a bride to dwell among strangers. Seven years have brought some changes to us all. How much better has been my lot than that of some others. I have a kind husband, and good friends even here in Oregon. Father and Mother Royal are very kind to me. When we got home from Conference, it was after dark, but just as soon as Mother saw a light at our house, she and the girls came running with some supper for us. We in turn gave them some good peaches we had brought up from the Willamette for them. We brought them in a brass kettle, packed in some oats, 200 miles.
    Fletcher has bought a bass viol to use in the family. He is beginning to learn and to play pretty finely. Last Saturday, John's miniature came to hand. We thank him very much. It looks very natural. I would have known it anywhere. We send him a bookmark; the letters on the Bible are the initials of his name, J.W.S. I thought I would write them, for fear you could not read them. Why don't Kate write. I would like to see a lock of little Mary's hair. William's also, to put up in my little hair book. It makes me feel sad to think that perhaps before this letter reaches you my dear sister may be a widow, and little Mary fatherless. Be very kind to William in his affliction, and make all due allowance for him as you would for a child of your own, that you may have nothing to reflect on when he is gone. We thank you very much for the pieces of your dresses. I would like to see some pieces of Kate's and Mary's dresses. No doubt they are very pretty. I will send you some of ours in the next letter. This is so full or I would send them now. Did you ever get the letter containing a map of our farm? And the plan of our house?
    Your last letter told many things which I have wanted to know for some time. All about the old friends and neighbors here. We hear from Wm. Cullison occasionally. He is in Yreka, Cal. now, does not belong to the church, but is a good, moral man. We saw his partner in business a few weeks